Wherever We Go
by StripedHatter
Summary: Cloud, Snow, and Dawn come from very different areas, raised by very different cats. Yet by the time they're all apprenticed, they've all three ended up by the lake. In different clans but connected by unexplained power and dreams, the three sisters have much to learn- and in the end, they may need to find a new home. *takes place between TNP & POT*


Prologue

"Onestar!"

The yowling caused the leader to whirl around in surprise as he saw his deputy, Ashfoot, racing through the tunnel with blue eyes stretched wide in alarm.

"Yes, Ashfoot? What is it?" Onestar demanded, racing to meet her in the center of camp. As Ashfoot caught her breath, another cat came trotting in at a more dignified pace- Owlwhisker. More surprising than his flustered deputy was the little bundle Owlwhisker carried in his jaws: a kit. As the rest of the hunting patrol returned, quickly relaying the news to the gathering clan, Onestar turned a scrutinizing yellow-green gaze to the little kit. She was gray, with scattered patches of white, like a reverse tortoiseshell.

"We found her at the RiverClan border, too far from horseplace to be a kittypet, and she smells of rogues," Owlwhisker reported. His gaze softened, and he looked uncharacteristically concerned as his eyes met his leaders. "She's just a kit- she hasn't even opened her eyes yet."

The small, fluffy kit opened her jaws and mewed, beginning to crawl around. The clan waited tensely, murmuring amongst themselves, as Onestar debated what to do with the kit. As he contemplated, she squirmed her way to one of his paws, and began pawing at his leg and mewling. His gaze softened, and he looked up to meet the eyes of his clanmates. Some were amused, and others hopeful. He sighed.

"Very well; Whitetail can feed her if she'd like to. If so, the kit can stay."

"What should we name her?" Nightcloud asked. Whitetail made her way through the crowd and nosed the little bundle away from Onestar's paw.

"Come on, Cloudkit."

Two moons had passed since the clans had passed by Ravenpaw's barn. The sleek black cat remained in his barn, sharing tongues with Barley and living the good life. He'd had peace for a long time, with no responsibilities outside of himself and keeping an eye out for the clans. Now, he didn't even have to watch out for the clans (though he did miss them).

That peace remained, until the day Pumpkin came back.

A moon before the clans left, Pumpkin had stopped by. The ginger she-cat had encompassed Ravenpaw's mind for the whole time she was there, but he didn't expect the news she brought when she returned (he hadn't really expected her to return, either).

"Ravenpaw?"

The timid voice caught Ravenpaw's attention. He hopped down from the hayloft and ran to greet her, but stopped short a few foxlengths from the door.

In Pumpkin's jaws was a single tiny, pale orange mewling kit. His mind raced with a million assumptions, and he had to struggle to regain any sense of calmness.

"Hey, Pumpkin," he managed to meow. She dropped the kit at her feet. Its green eyes opened, and it mewed up at her.

"This is Dawn," Pumpkin mewed. "She's yours."

"Mine?" Ravenpaw repeated, disbelieving. Pumpkin nodded.

"And I can't keep her, because it's too dangerous where I live. She's old enough to eat mice, and I know you can teach her to hunt, and- and- please, Ravenpaw."

Ravenpaw's life of peace was crashing down. It wasn't like he could pass along the kit to one of the clans, and he was used to queens shooing him out of the nursery. He couldn't raise a kit!

But before his thoughts could go any further, the kit came stumbling up to him and then flopped over at his feet. She rolled onto her back and blinked her pale green eyes at him, the same color as his mother's, and Ravenpaw felt something stir inside him.

When he looked back up, Pumpkin was gone.

The mouse nibbled at a seed. Green eyes narrowed, the small she-cat began to slowly creep forward. Her fur, somewhere between pale ginger and cream, did nothing to hide her, and her white paws didn't help her with this. But moons of practice guided her along and she soon paused her moving, crouched low, and pounced.

Dispatching the mouse with one quick blow, Dawn had a healthy breakfast and then caught another. Trotting out of the shadows with the mouse in her jaws, she deposited the creature in front of her father, who stirred at the scent. She sat down, eyes glowing, and he sat up sleepily and began to eat.

"Okay, what do you want?" Ravenpaw asked once he'd finished eating. Dawn took a deep breath, and then said it all in a rush.

"I want to go find the clans and live with them! I'm sure they'd take me in if they knew you were my father, and while I love it here, I want adventure!"

Ravenpaw stood abruptly, and stared at his daughter. She looked up at him with hope in her eyes. He touched noses to her for a brief moment, and then,

"Okay, let's go."

"You want to go too?" Dawn mewed, incredulous. Ravenpaw shrugged.

"I can't send you out there alone. There's no telling what kind of journey they've had, and I'm not even sure how you'll find them, except to wander around and ask, and not everycat will want to talk instead of fight."

Dawn nodded, understanding, but wasn't quite done.

"But, the thing is, I found someone to bring with me."

Ravenpaw's eyes widened. "That being?"

"Chester, come here!" Dawn called, and a moment later, the cat with vibrant brown tabby fur came trotting in, wide amber eyes trained on Ravenpaw. He sat down, his long fur fluffed out.

"And this is..?"

"I'm Chester," the tom introduced himself. "I'm from a barn next to the lake where the clans live now."

"A lake?" Ravenpaw muttered to himself, and then shook himself and turned back to the tom. "And you consider yourself capable of getting my daughter to the clans?"

"With help from my sister, Lily."

At her name, the white she-cat, barely bigger than Dawn, came trotting out. She was a pretty cat, with a pink nose and green-amber eyes. She had one brown ear and two little spots of brown and ginger on one hind-leg. She waved her tail in greeting as she came to a stop next to Chester.

"Three cats is stronger," Ravenpaw agreed. "And you're sure you can do this? And you're sure you want to do this?"

All three nodded eagerly. Ravenpaw sighed.

"Alright, then. And how long have you two known Dawn?"

"A couple of moons."

"A couple of-!" Ravenpaw cut himself off, and forced the fur on his neck to flatten. He took a deep breath. "And why did you leave the lake?"

"We were looking for somewhere else to live," Lily mewed brightly. "But then Dawn was out hunting, and we're not very good at hunting, so we asked her to teach us. She asked where we were from and if we knew about the clans, and then agreed to teach us if we'd take her to the lake."

Ravenpaw turned to his daughter. "So you've been planning to leave for two moons?"

Dawn nodded. "But I'll come back to visit!"

"The clans aren't like that, Dawn. You can't just leave whenever you'd like to."

"Then come live in the barn with them," Dawn suggested, but her father shook his head sadly.

"And leave Barley all alone? The cat's getting older, and someone's got to take care of him. Just promise you'll take care of yourself."

Stretches of grass and thunderpath criss-crossed ahead. Dawn had just passed the famous mothermouth, and was now about to go further than she'd ever been from home with two cats she barely knew.

And she'd never been so excited.

Snow woke with a gasp, her head popping up from her mossy nest. Looking around the den, she saw it was empty; her companion must be outside. Standing up and shaking the moss from her fur, she stepped out of the nest with her one gray paw first, blue-green eyes still stretched wide. She trotted out of the small tunnel and into the cool night air, a salty breeze washing over her. It didn't take her long to find who she was looking for- the old badger was staring up at the stars, just as Snow expected.

"Midnight!"

At Snow's voice, the badger barely turned, the only acknowledgement she'd heard the cat. Snow, accustomed to this, trotted up next to the badger and sat down. Her eyes sought out the stars, taking comfort in the glimmering white lights.

"I had another dream," Snow began, "About the forest cats. There were two- a golden tabby, and a silver tabby- watching a black she-cat run into a tunnel. Almost as soon as she entered it, it collapsed. Midnight, what does it mean?"

The badger's beady eyes glinted with amusment. "If Midnight could say what all means, Midnight would be lucky badger indeed."

Snow sighed heavily, wanting to flop down there, but restrained herself from getting distressed.

"First it was the housecat, then the pretty tortoiseshell's death, the gray tom leaving the housecat to be with his kits, the three tabbies, the badgers swarming the hollow... What do they all mean? Who are they?" By now, Snow was talking to herself, gazing up at the stars that reflected in her eyes. "Why do I keep dreaming of these cats I don't know?"

She dropped her head, her eyes closing, and when she opened them again, Midnight was looking at her.

"Small dreamer, there is something must tell you."

Snow pricked her ears, looking at Midnight anxiously.

"These cats are real- have encountered many times." Snow gasped, but did not interrupt, as Midnight continued, "They live around mountain, across field, at lake. There will you find them."

"Midnight," Snow mewed, and gulped. "This is my destiny."

"Are you certain, young one?" Midnight asked, peering into Snow's eyes. "You must be certain."

"Certain as the stars," Snow replied, using a phrase she and the badger often exchanged in lighter tones. Midnight dipped her head.

"Then go. It is your destiny."

The rest of the evening was spent with Midnight sharing what she knew of the Clan cats, and where to find friends for Snow to travel with. The badger escorted her halfway to the forest across the grass, and then took a moment to say goodbye.

"Thank you, for everything," Snow mewed, and buried her nose in the badger's thick fur for a brief moment before disappearing into the grass.


End file.
